Baghdad: Iraqi newspapers issued on Monday, August 18, focused on the future of the Iraqi Parliament sessions, alongside the approaching end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq, and other political issues.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sabah newspaper, issued by the Iraqi Media Network, highlighted the divergent views among lawmakers regarding the possibility of resuming sessions in the coming period.
The newspaper quoted the head of the ‘Reconstruction and Development’ bloc, Murtada Ali Al-Saadi, as saying: ‘The council is nearing the end of its term, and any attempt to push for holding new sessions could have been made months ago, but today it has become almost impossible.’ He added that ‘the current circumstances do not allow for additional sessions in the remaining time.’
In contrast, MP Jawad Al-Yassari expressed cautious optimism, pointing out that ‘there are draft laws that have already passed two readings and are awaiting a final vote before the end of the current term.’
However, he acknowledged that ‘the ongoing disputes among political factions continue to overshadow parliamentary activity and hinder its legislative role.’
MP Haider Al-Salami, meanwhile, adopted a more reserved stance, stressing that ‘the outlook remains unclear regarding the possibility of holding further sessions,’ noting that ‘recent disputes within the council have negatively affected its ability to convene anytime soon.’
For his part, political analyst Issam Al-Faili warned that ‘resuming parliamentary sessions faces serious challenges, particularly after the last session was marred by violations and heated altercations that even involved the presidency.’ He explained that ‘any upcoming session will remain contingent on prior agreements over the agenda.’
Al-Faili added that ‘the current situation requires extreme caution to avoid political clashes that could have catastrophic consequences, especially in light of the complex regional and international environment.’
In a related development, Al-Zawra
a newspaper, issued by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, focused on the approaching end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq. The newspaper quoted Prime Minister’s adviser Hussein Alawi as saying that ‘the mission of the international coalition in Baghdad and Ain al-Asad will conclude in September, as the government remains committed to its program of strengthening the armed forces and ending the coalition’s tasks.’
Alawi stressed that ‘Iraq is committed to transforming its security relations with coalition countries into stable bilateral defense partnerships, governed by political, economic, and cultural ties, in line with the agreements reached between Iraq and the coalition states.’ He further explained that ‘under the agreement, the coalition’s mission will wind down according to a declared timetable extending through 2025 and 2026. The presence of the coalition’s mission in Baghdad and Ain al-Asad will formally end in September 2025, paving the way for a new phase of cooperation focused on ad
visory roles and capacity-building for the Iraqi security forces.’
Alawi also noted that ‘the government’s vision is to establish sustainable relations with its partners across multiple fields, including security. This has been advanced through the Higher Military Committee, which reviewed the coalition’s mission as part of ongoing dialogues aimed at implementing the agreement and consolidating normal bilateral security and defense partnerships.’
In another development, Al-Zaman newspaper reported on the ongoing exhumation of remains from what the United Nations has described as the largest mass grave in Iraq, located at Al-Khasfa site near Mosul, which is believed to contain thousands of victims of ISIS atrocities. Ahmed Al-Asadi, head of the excavation teams for mass graves, stated that ‘the first phase, launched on August 10, involves the collection of evidence and bone fragments from the surface of al-Khasfa pit, where experts have so far uncovered scattered bones, including human skulls.’
Al-Asadi exp
lained that ‘the total number of victims has not yet been determined, though previous estimates suggested the grave could contain between 4,000 and 15,000 bodies.’ He noted that ‘the site contains victims from all ethnic and religious groups, including members of the Iraqi army, Yazidis, and residents of Mosul, all of whom were executed by ISIS.’
Al-Asadi further pointed to the difficulties facing the excavation work, citing ‘the presence of underground sulfuric water flows that may have eroded skeletal remains, complicating the task of forensic experts in obtaining DNA samples to identify the victims.’